SMALL
GROUP TABLE SESSIONS
Together,
Seeking Stronger Links Between Policies and Poverty
Participants were
challenged to review one of the key policies from the following perspective:
If
you were to have the opportunity to meet the Premier and Cabinet, tomorrow
about this policy, what alternative solutions or ideas would you present?
To stimulate discussion
some specific questions were suggested as starting points for their deliberations.
They were:
- Who needs to be
at the table in developing new or revised policy?
- Who needs to be
part of the presentation?
- What is the intent
of this policy?
- Are there parts
of the policy that are salvageable?
- Are there parts
of the policy that ‘have to go’?
- What would be the
impact of these proposed changes/revisions?
Some groups used these
questions as their guide while others took a less direct approach.
Economic
Unit/ Household Income Policy
- Basic rates not
enough - N.B. has the lowest rates in Canada
- Simplify Policy
- Get back to basic
values and human rights
- Develop a “Guaranteed
Annual Income” program
- Return to “the
table” & work anew toward new values and goals.
- Provide basic necessities
- Have Integrity
- Begin to TRUST
clients
Kinds of people who
should be at ‘the table’:
- People who are
most affected by Income Assistance (IA) policies
- Low income wage
earners
- Advocates
- Business – they
need good, stable employees & better policies could help
- Inside Policy developer
and/or Analyst
- Also, keep Media
informed of process
‘Unwritten’ policies
should be kept in mind – e.g. values on poverty – such as Income Assistance
recipients can not be perceived as better off than low wage earners.
Do not believe the
current system is salvageable. Do not tinker with it – go to a ‘fix’ such
as Guaranteed Annual Income.
Some impacts of new
approaches: erosion of the poverty stigma; just society; government saves
resources by being free to focus energies more productively; subsequent
modifications to tax levels; and individuals grow to feel more secure
and independent. |